V Festival has added Reel Big Fish, The Bees, Gus Gus, I Am Kloot and Mint Royale to the 2003 line up. Reel Big Fish released their first album "Turn the Radio Off" in 1997. Next followed "Why Do They Rock So Hard?", and most recently "Cheer Up." which
Police are hunting for thieves who have been targeting vehicles left by commuters in a car park. People who leave their vehicles in the car park in School Lane, Benfleet, have been left counting the cost after a spate of robberies. Sgt Kevin Diable-White
It's the age of the information superhighway ... or so you thought Colchester is to buck the global trend, and take a gentile step back in time with weekly announcements from the town crier, Robert Needham. From June 13, Mr Needham will be giving lunchtime
First Strokes Swim Schools have opened a new pool. The pool in Stanway, Colchester is believed to be the first facility of its kind in the country entirely dedicated to teaching and will be endorsed as a centre of excellence by the Swimming Teachers Association
Owners have called for action to save their beach huts from vandals following an arson attack. The wooden hut on the beach front near Uncle Tom's Cabin in Common Road, Shoebury, was found on fire at 9.30pm on Sunday evening. Leading firefighter Alan Whitford
Callous robber David Dennington left a couple devastated when he snatched £12,320 from their post office store. Dennington, 25, grabbed the owner by the throat, pointed a knife at him and headbutted him so badly that he was taken to hospital. The owner's
A young girl was left angry and upset after £100 motorised toy jeeps were stolen from her garden in Havengore, Basildon. Three-year-old Charlotte and one-year-old brother George woke up yesterday to find their pink and red Christmas presents were gone
Southend Council's garden waste wheeled bin recycling scheme, run in partnership with Cory Environmental, is achieving big results. The scheme for borough residents is in its second year and last year over 1,000 tonnes of green waste was collected. There
Six former Colchester United players are on the annual 'unwanted' list released by the Professional Footballers' Association. Promotion play-off heroes Carl Emberson - goalkeeper and man-of-the-match in the 1998 Wembley final - his Luton Town team-mate
Despite a slight easing of the property market, Brentwood headquartered national developers Countryside Properties was on target for both turnover and profit in the first six months of the current financial year. Reporting interim results to the London
Just three proposals from the controversial traffic scheme suggested for south Essex have won favour with Castle Point councillors. The highways and leisure committee backed only the most popular plans put forward in Essex County Council's South Essex
Tendring Council leader Terry Allen has set his sights on becoming an MP if the proposed reorganisation of Tendring's electoral boundaries goes ahead. The next General Election could see the district divided between two constituencies instead of the current
A sailor was left fuming after thieves stole the inflatable dinghy he had used to get from his boat to shore. The man, believed to have sailed down the Thames Estuary from London, had anchored his boat about 100ft away from the Lobster Smack pub, on Canvey
A young magician had a few tricks up his sleeve when he was invited to perform at Buckingham Palace. Michael J Fitch, a 24-year-old magician from Marks Tey, gave the performance of his career at the royal children's garden party held by the Queen in the
More doctors, nurses and porters will be taken on in a £274,000 boost for Colchester General's casualty department. And one member of staff will be taken on to ensure all accident and emergency patients are seen within four hours. A spokesman for Essex
A devoted couple have clocked up an impressive 67 years of marriage. Still friends - Hedgetty and Len Stamp, who have been married for 67 years Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL Leonard, 93, and Hedgetty Stamp, 89, of the Godden Lodge, in Hart Road, Thundersley
Steve Pitt is considering his position after the resignation of his joint-manager Mick Potter at Ryman League side Wivenhoe Town. Pitt is seeking assurances from the club that he will be able to form the management team that he wants to and bring in the
A ten-year-old boy was assaulted by a group of teenagers at a skateboard park. The boy was at the skateboard park in Low Road, Dovercourt, some time last night when the incident happened. Insp Peter Smith, of Clacton police, said they were appealing for
The Harwich School is planning to sell off its historic Grange to build a new sixth form centre. Headteacher Jacky Froggatt said they were looking to sell the historic building, which houses the current sixth form, to fund new facilities at the main site
Oyez! Oyez! Witham could soon have its own town crier. The town council was approached recently by William Millard, of Vicarage Avenue, White Notley, who wondered why there was no Witham town crier and volunteered his services. Mr Millard, a well-known
Joe Royle today confirmed Southampton's interest in highly-rated duo Darren Bent and Matt Richards. But the Ipswich Town boss was quick to dismiss reports the pair could be on their way out of Portman Road. Bent starred for the England Under-21's last
Arena Essex completed their three-match tour of Scotland and the Border country with a visit to Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow. But they were unable to make it third time lucky as they slipped to their third defeat in as many days with a 48-42 reverse. This
The varied work of a volunteer will be the topic of three recruitment days. The Basildon, Billericay and Wickford Volunteer Bureau has organised the events as part of national volunteer week. The bureau will be at libraries in Basildon, Billericay and
Essex Police were today challenging a High Court injunction preventing publication of a poster carrying the picture and name of a convicted burglar. Officers want to use the poster as part of a new anti-crime campaign. The force planned to feature convicted
Southend Council leader Howard Briggs today condemned travellers camped at Leigh as "parasites". As 12 caravans moved on to land behind Leigh station, Conservative West Leigh ward councillor, Mr Briggs said: "They make a disgraceful mess and are parasites
A former graffiti pest and one-time trouble-maker took to the streets of Southend to help promote a survey on Christians in the town. Karl Sims, 22, used to spray graffiti on trains, walls, and shop fronts until he became a Christian and changed his ways
More cash must continue to be pumped into the bid to rid Tendring's streets of abandoned vehicles. That's the warning as councillors battle to keep up their fight against those who dump cars and vans around the district. The budget for removing abandoned
Two Evening Echo reporters have picked up coveted journalism awards in a scheme run by brewers Shepheard Neame. The newspaper provides daily news and sport updates to This Is Essex. Top men - Evening Echo reporters Gary Pearson and Carl Eve with their
The runs flowed freely in Chelmsford as batsmen enjoyed ideal conditions. A slow pitch coupled with a rock-hard, lightning fast outfield meant that bowlers were always going to struggle, and it was a bad day for Horndon to lose the toss. An early wicket
Southend dart thrower Steve Maish suffered mixed fortunes as he competed in the UK Open in Bolton -- but he is anxious to get back for a taste of some more. Maish, 39, thrashed Vic Hubbard 5-0 in his opening game before crashing out to Steve Beaton in
The countdown is on for the Broomfield Hospital Walk and Fun Day being held on Sunday June 22. Preparations are well underway to ensure the event, which will raise funds for local orthopaedic services, is the biggest and best yet. The main focus of the
More than 1,000 youngsters will this week take part in a safety awareness day at a community centre. The year six pupils will come from all over Canvey to take part in a special one-day course called Think On Their Feet, held at the Paddocks, in Long
A woman serving ten years for drugs smuggling in the Middle East was today reunited with her family after being granted a Royal pardon. Anna Bartlett, of Sandringham Road, Southend, was released from her Dubai prison cell and flew back to the UK yesterday
White Ensign finally brought the curtain down on an extraordinary season on the last day of May when they completed their Essex Intermediate League soccer campaign with a 2-0 win at a Herongate side who needed to triumph to avoid relegation from Senior
A warning has been issued for people to stay away from shrubs which appear to be covered in cobwebs. The spider's web effect, which has appeared on trees and shrubs, is an infestation of caterpillars which can cause a painful rash. Web warning - People
Southend United boss Steve Wignall has been thwarted in a free transfer bid for Cambridge hitman Omer Riza. The Shrimpers chief had been tracking the 23-year-old, who blasted 17 goals last term, but rejected a new contract at the Abbey Stadium, for the
Schools across Essex are considering buying in services from a private company. The 31 schools are thinking about buying in the key services from private company Serco. Essex County Council had been involved in consultations with schools after receiving
Youngsters from Colchester whose dads have been serving in Iraq have been to London to see the Queen. The 31 children and their mums joined in the Queen's celebrations for the 50th anniversary of her Coronation at a party at Buckingham Palace. The Queen
It was the stuff dreams are made of. Plane enthusiast Lloyd Coulson, who suffers from a rare form of leukaemia, has his head firmly in the clouds when his dearest wish came true. The Make-A-Wish Foundation made it possible for Lloyd, 12, of Basildon,
More school buses are vital to encourage parents not to take their children to and from school by car, Witham councillors have argued. Witham Town Council's community services committee was considering its response to a consultation exercise on free school
Staff at a fast-food restaurant were today recovering following an armed raid. Two men, one of whom had a firearm, threatened staff at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Prince Avenue, Southend, and escaped with cash at 12.30am on Monday, police said. Anyone with
More than 160 real ales and 20 ciders will be on offer to visitors at the six-day Thurrock Beer Festival starting next Monday. The 15th Camra beer festival at Thurrock Civic Hall, Blackshots Lane, Grays, is likely to attract 3,500 visitors and organisers
Ambulance crews in Basildon have taken over the top spot in the county for their response times when attending calls to life-threatening incidents. And they are likely to become even more efficient after taking delivery of two rapid-response motorbikes
Female staff of Ground Star, who work at Stansted Airport, have won their fight to wear trousers. More than 150 GMB women members campaigned to the company to allow them to wear trousers because they have to work outside in the cold. Over the next few
A supermarket threw away thousands of pounds of frozen food after two power cuts plunged the store into chaos. The Savacentre in the Eastgate Centre, Basildon, was forced to close down for the day because back-up generators only provided lighting. Other
Goldfrapp, Skin, Appleton, Basement and The Distillers have been added to the V Festival line up. Alison Goldfrapp's debut album "Felt Mountain" was one of the best albums of 2000 with it's haunting operatic vocals along with the deep electronica dreamscape
Canvey is getting new taxi ranks to cope with a huge rise in Hackney carriages following deregulation of the trade. There are now 120 cabs operating on the island, compared with 37 before deregulation. Castle Point highways and leisure committee approved
A motorboat museum is going hi-tech in order to get more young people through the doors. The museum in Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea, plays host to thousands of school children every year as part of their national curriculum studies. The new computer
More than 14,000 households across the district will soon be getting ready for a new kerbside glass recycling scheme. Basildon Council is carrying out a one-year trial of collecting glass for recycling every week or fortnight from participating households
New Southend United left-back Jamie Stuart today thanked the Seasiders for giving him the chance to return south. The 26-year-old has joined Blues on a free transfer from Third Division rivals Bury, where he made 43 appearances last term, ending a two-year
Drivers in Colchester have faced severe rush-hour traffic over the past 24 hours. The snarl-ups are blamed on work on the Northern Approaches Road, which has cut traffic on the North Station roundabout to one lane. Drivers coming into Colchester today
A toddler whose death is at the centre of a police investigation was today named as Ryan Onley, of London Road, Hadleigh. A post-mortem examination on the 18-month-old's body has failed to establish how he died. Toxicology tests will now be carried out
There is still time to join in the annual Jim Peters' Southend Half Marathon, being run on Sunday from a course starting just outside the Garon Park Track at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre. The race, which begins from outside the centre at the entrance
The idea that Witham should have its own town crier has been quashed by councillors. The town council was approached recently by William Millard, of Vicarage Avenue, White Notley, who wondered why there was no Witham town crier and volunteered his services
A police search was launched after a man was spotted creeping around people's gardens. But no-one was found in the early morning hunt, around Queens Mews, West Mersea. Police were called at 2am yesterday after the sightings by several people who live
A gang of thugs who attacked a teenager and told him he "deserved" the beating are being hunted by police. Detectives are keen to hear from anyone who may know the attackers who terrorised the 18-year-old man in his bedsit in Cranes Court, Basildon. Det
Farleigh Hospice has paid tribute to its 650 volunteers during Volunteers' Week which runs until June 7 as a national celebration of UK volunteers. "Our volunteers are invaluable and help us provide hospice care to our patients and their families. "Our
Vandals ran amok at playing fields causing hundreds of pounds of damage. A football changing room and toilet block was smashed and bowls club greens damaged in the attack. Glass was also thrown over a children's play area. The vandalism happened at the
How much do you know about Colchester? A historic competition has been launched to test people's knowledge of the town and borough The web-based challenge aims to raise awareness of the past, present and future. It is being run by Colchester 2020 the
Top honours went to Colchester Swimming Club at their Eighth Annual Open Meet as they lifted the Reg Baines Trophy as the winning club. Colchester's senior girls, Susanna Davis, Catharine Hartley, Elizabeth Bellinger, Sarah Brennan and Kathleen Marks,
Essex County FA will be holding a course on coaching disabled footballers on Saturday at Basildon Sports Centre. The course, which costs £10 and includes lunch, runs from 10am to 4.30pm and is aimed at individuals who have a football coaching qualification
Employers and employees need private sector job finders whatever the economic climate, claims Coral Jamieson who with Kevin Foreham runs the Fast Futures Recruitment Agency in South Benfleet. She was commenting on news that recruitment agencies were starting
War veteran Reg Ferriss - the only survivor when his Wellington bomber crashed - has been named Billericay's Citizen of the Year. The former squadron leader's eyes filled with tears when he was presented with a framed, signed print of a ground crew getting
West Ham may have suffered the indignity of relegation from the top flight of English football, but the club are still a top draw with soccer-loving youngsters. Concentration - from one Hammers' enthusiast displaying his dribbling skills Picture: TERENCE
Shoebury Ishinru Karate Club is celebrating a one, two, three at an Essex competition. Fourteen-year-old Ricki Melly, from Westcliff, took first place in the boys' up to blue belt category. And his sister Holly Hall, nine, grabbed third place in the girls
A thief threatened to cut a shop assistant "to pieces" if he tried to stop him leaving with cash grabbed from a till. The ugly threat came during the second robbery to happen within 48 hours at the Spar store, in West Street, Rochford. The latest incident
Youngsters are set to benefit when a Phoenix rises from the ashes of two old schools. Bluehouse Infant and Junior Schools in Leinster Road, Laindon, are joining forces to become the Phoenix Primary School at the beginning of the next school year. The
Ramraiders targeted three south Essex stores within 90 minutes, police revealed today. A post office in Eastwoodbury Crescent, Southend, was the first to be hit. The police were again called out when raiders rammed the Co-Op store in Church Road, Benfleet
